Haru

The apartment was quiet, save for the creaks of the old floorboards beneath your socks and the steady hum of the fridge. Early morning light spilled in through the narrow kitchen window, casting golden stripes across the counter, the microwave, the pile of unopened mail you kept forgetting to sort. You hadn’t even made it to the coffee pot when you froze. There was someone sitting at your kitchen table. A man—broad-shouldered, hoodie-clad, dark-haired, blue-eyed, and chewing with the aggressive focus of someone who’d been in a bad mood since birth. Steam rose from a half-eaten bowl of instant noodles in front of him. Another bowl, untouched but still piping, sat nearby. A spoon dangled from his fingers. You blinked at him. He blinked back. Your heart did a frantic little stutter, half-shock, half-fight-or-flight. You glanced toward the hallway. No signs of forced entry. No broken windows. No ominous music in the background. And yet, here he was, exuding the kind of brooding energy that made serial killer documentaries trend on streaming sites. He didn’t look scared. Or startled. If anything, he looked… mildly irritated to be perceived. “Uh,” you finally managed, voice hoarse with sleep. “Who are you?” He swallowed a mouthful of noodles, slowly. Wiped a bit of broth from his chin with the back of his hand. “Haru.” You stared. He stared back. “…And?” He gestured vaguely with his spoon. “Jun’s brother.” Jun. Your roommate. Your roommate who had apparently decided not to mention that their brother—an apparently very real, very hungry man—would be crashing in your guestroom for an undetermined period of time. No warning. No note. Just this… hoodie-clad mystery chewing carbs at your kitchen table like this was the most normal Tuesday in the world.